Metal receptacle



1,632,762 June 14, 1927. s. HAMMER METAL RECEPTACLE Filed June 23. 1926 ZSheets-Sheet l fig. j.

14 192 June 7 s. HAMMER METAL RECEPTACLE Filed June 23, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ffy. 4.

' IMLNIQR Affl/7am?! fam/71er Patented June 14, 1927.

AUNITED .STATES SAMUEL HAMMER, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED METAL'BOX CO.,'

. r 1,632,762 PATENT OFFICE.

INTL-0]!` LONG ISLAND IGITY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METAL REOEPTACLE.

Application tiled June 23, 1926. VSerial No. 117.985,

This invention relates to metal receptacles, and more particularly to boxes or receptacles such as are usually provided in a artment houses, hotels, and other large buil. ings for receiving mail of the tenants residing therein and has for its primary object and purpose to provide certain improvements in a receptacle of this type described and claimed in my pending ap lication for patent Serial No. 712,945` f1 ed May 13, 1924, to the end that the construction is materially simplified whereby the lmanufacturing and selling cost is appreciably reduced while retaining all `of the advantages of the former construction and in addition, accomplishing certain other desirable advantages particularly with regard to facilitating the easy and quick insertion-of large magazines into the receptacle compartments or their withdrawal therefrom without liability of tearing or mutilating the magazine. In attaining this last noted result, my# present improvements are primarily characterized by the fact that the hinge rods upon which the master door and the lower individual tenants doors are mounted are positioned respectively, in vertically spaced relation from the lower and upper edges of the door openings and thus present smooth convex surfaces with which the magazine contacts and -prevent the engagement ,thereof with the relatively sharp metal edges of the door openings as the magazine is inserted into or withdrawn from the compartment.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved mounting of the upper and lower doors upon the vertically spaced hinge rods so that the upper hinge 'rod cong stitutes a stop limiting the downward movement of the upper master door and the lower hinge rod constitutes a stop limiting the upward movement of the individual lower doors. YI-Ieretofore in such structures, the hinge arms carried by the doors engaged with the front wall of the rece tacle to thus limit thelmovements of said oors to open position, and it will be manifest that this wall was thus subjected to considerable strain particularly as the upper master door is often permitted to drop by gravity and as this door is quite heavy, the panel of the front plate of the receptacle separating the upper and lower door openings from each other will become more or less bent or disby means of the present improvements, to relieve this front wall of the box or receptacle structure of all strain and sustain the doors in open positions entirely independently thereof, thereb enabling this front wall to be produced sheet metal plate.

It is another and very important object of my invention to provide an vimproved means om a relatively light for latehing the individual tenants doors and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, wherein I have disclosed .one simple and practical embodiment ofmy Apresent invention, and in whichsimilar reference characters designate' corresponding parts'throughout the several views,-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a multicompartment mail box or receptacle embodying my present improvements;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section similar to Fig. 2 showing the upper master door in open position;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal'section as indicated by the line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 isa view similar to Fig. 3 showing one of theindividual tenants doors in its open position;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view illustrating the latch means for the tenants tion as now generally used in the art in conoxes or receptacles of nection with mail c this character. The receptacle structure 1neludes a front plate 6 suitably secured to the los i lll top, bottom and side body walls of the receptacle, said late having a large upperepening 7 therein and a series of relatlvely narrow lower openings 8 separated from each other by the vertical metal strips 9 of the plate 7 which connect the lower mar inal portion of said plate with a narrow lorizontally extending panel 10, said panel separat-ing the lower openings S from the up.- per openings 7. The interior ol' the box or receptacle is divided by the `spaced vertically extending partitions 1l into separate compartments corresponding in number with the number of the openings 8. It will of course, be apparent that such areceptacle structure may be built up of separate units each having a single compartment, or a single unit might be provided with a greater number of the mail receiving compartments than as herein shown.

The upper opening 7 and therefore, the open front sides of the several receptacle compartments are adapted to be closed by a common master door 12 while the lower openings 8 are closed by individual tenants doors 13. It may here be noted that the vertical dimension of the upper opening 7 and therefore of the door 12 is somewhat less than the corresponding dimension of the lower openings 8 and the doors 13. I find this to be of advantage particularly in connection with the insertion of magazines into the compartments which have a length practically equal to the internal vertical dimension of the receptacle compartments, since the withdrawal of the magazine from the lower ends of the compartments through the openings 8 is attended with greater difliculty than the insertion of the magazine downwardly into the upper end of the compartment through the opening 7. At the same time however, the over-all vertical dimension of the receptacle structure is not increased.

The upper master door 12, while herein described as of one piece construction, may if desired, consist of separate door members rigidly united or tied together by a connecting bar, as in the disclosure contained in a second co-pending patent ap lication filed by me January 22, 1925, Seria No. 3,931.

The upper master door 12 and the individual lower doors 13 are adapted to be hingedly mounted at one of their ends upon the receptacle structure for swinging movement in reverse directions to open and closed positions, said doors when closed fitting within the openings 7 and 8 and having their outer surfaces flush with the surface.

of the front wall .6. For this purpose, I provide the horizontally extending parallel hinge rods 14 and 15 res ectively which are suitably mounted at thelr ends 1n the side walls of the box structure. It is to be particularly noted that these hinge rods are positionedvor located inwardly of the horizontal panel 10 of the wall 6 and also in the same vertical plane and are so spaced with relation to each other that the lower hinge rod 14 is below the lower edge of the panel 10 and the upper hinge rod 15 is above the upper edge of said panel.

Upon the inner vface of the master door l2 and upon the inner face of each of the tenants doors 13, a reinforcing plate 16 is secured. These reinforcing plates may be conveniently attached to the door plates in the manner shown in my pending application last above referred to, or in any other approved way. The number of these reinforcing plates on the master door 12 may correspond with the number of receptacle compartments, or a less number of such reinforcing plates may be used when the recept tacle is provided with three or more of the compartments. These reinforcing plates on the master door are provided at one of their ends and at the opposite longitudinal edges thereofl with the curved hinge arms 17 projecting beyond the end edge of the door and terniinating in the inwardly directed obliqucly dispesed tapering portions 18 each of which is apertured to receive the hinge rod 14. The length of this tapering end 18 of the hinge arm at its inner edge is substantially equal to the distance between the spaced hinge rods 14 and 15 and said inner edge of the portion 18 at its juncture with the curved inner edge of the arm 17 provides a notch or seat indicated at 19 which receives the upper hinge rod 15 and limits the downward swinging movement of the master door 12 to a substantially horizontal position. It will thus be observed that the master door which is comparatively heav is supported or sustained in this open horizontal position wholly independent of the front wall 6 of the receptacle structure and there is no contact of the hinge arms with the horizontal panel 10 exerting an outward bending strain against said panel.

The reinforcing plates 16 on the lower tenants doors 13 are likewise each provided with the spaced hinge arms 2() eorresponding in form with the hinge arm 17 above described with the exception that the inner curved edge of each hinge arm 20 adjacent its juncture with the tapering terminal portion 21 of said hinge arm is formed with a cam projection 22, thereby producin a more pronounced and relatively deep notcl or recess 23 than in the case of the hinffe arm 17 on the master door 12. The ends of the terminals 2l on the hinge arms 20 are apertured to receive the upper hinge rod 15. lt will therefore, be apparent that when these lower tenants doors are swung u iwardly from the closed position shown 1n Iiig. 3 to the open position shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, as they approach the latter position, the cam projections 22 on the hinge arms 20.ride upon the under sides of the convex surfaces of the lower hinge rod 14, and spring this hinge rod slightly from its normal osition until said projections pass outwardly from the lower side of the hinge rod when said rod resumes its normal position and snaps into the notches or recesses 23. Thus, the door will be latched in its open position and sustained in the upwardly inclined vposition shown in Fig. '5 of the drawings, above the horizontal panel-10 against downward gravityswinging movement to its closed position. In this case likewise, it will be observed that the hinge arms 2O do not bear against the panel 10.

The upper master door 12 is equipped with the usual Post Oiice De artment lock indicatedat 24 while each o the lower doors 13A carries an individual lock 25 of which lthe tenant possesses the key.

From the above description, it will be seen that when the master door 12'is unlocked by the postman, it may be permitted to drop by gravity to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 3 to a position below the panel 10, thus affording free access to the upper ends of all of the receptacle compartments. The postman may therefore, conveniently sort the mail upon this open vdoor and then insert the same into the proper compartment. The weight of the master door, and `any additional weight im osed thereon is transmitted throuvh the inge rod 15 to the vertically extending partitions and the vertical side walls of the box structure, and the front wall 6 and especially the narrow panel 10 is y.thus relieved of all strain. Therefore, it becomes possible to produce this front plate of the receptacle structure of comparatively thin gauge sheet metal and thereby effect a saving in manu-l facturing cost without sacrifice of .practical durability. When long magazines substantially equal to the height of the receptacle compartment are inserted into the'compartments, in forcing the magazine downwardly below the panel 10 into the lower end of the compartment, it-will readily slide upon the smooth .rounded surface of the upper hinge rod 15 which prevents any contact of the magazine with the lower edge of the opening 7 and thus obviates tearing or mutilation of the magazine. A n.

When the tenant desires to obtaln his mail he unlocks the individual lower door 13 and `lifts the same, said door when raised above cause said rod to snapinto the recesses 22,

thus preventing the return gravity movement of the door to closed position as above explained. As in the case of insertlng magazines into the compartment, this lower hinge rod 15 provides a convexbearing surface for the magazine as it is withdrawn through the door Opening .8 and prevents contact of the magazine with the lower edge of the panel 10. The greater length of the loweropenings 8 than the upper opening 7. is an important feature of my invention, since it facilitates the easy withdrawal of suchlong magazines or other bulky pieces of mail from the receptacle compartments.

`prior art structures.

From the foregoing description considered 1n connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, manner of operation andseveral advantages of, my present improvements will be fully and clearly understood. It will be seen that I have mate- ,rially simplified the box or receptacle as described and claimed in my co-pending applications thereby enabling such receptacles to be produced upon a quantity production basis with an appreciable economy in material and labor costs. Nevertheless, the. attractive appearance and serviceability of the receptacle structure as a whole is retained, and such construction satisfactorily meets all Post Oilice Department regulations. In

the present disclosure, I have referredto an embodimentof the invention which has been thoroughly -tested and found entirely satisfactory in every respect. Nevertheless, it is possible that in the form, construction and relative arrangement of the various elements, the device may be susceptible of con-l siderable modification and that the essential features thereof may be exemplified in numerous other alternative structures. Accordingly, I reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes therein as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of t e invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A receptacle having a compartment, up per and lower doors affording access to sal-d compartment, spaced rods mounted in the receptacle structure, and means on each door connecte-dv to one of the rods and sustaining the Idoors for vertical swinging movement in relatively opposite directions. said means on the respective doors adapted to engage the other of said rods to limit movement of the door to its open position.

2. A receptacle having a compartment, upper and lower doors affording access to said compartment, vertically spaced hinge rods mounted in the receptacle structure, hinge arms on the upper door connected with t e lower hinge rod and hinge arms on the lower door connected with the upper hinge rod, and the upper and lower hinge rods coacting with the hinge arms on the upper and lower doors respectively, and constituting stops limiting movement of said doors to their open positions.

3. A receptacle havin a compartment, upper and lower doors aflrding access to said compartment, vertically spaced hinge rods mounted in the receptacle structure, hinge arms on the upper door connected with the lower hinge rod and hinge arms on the lower door connected with the u per hinge rod, and the upper and lower hinge rods coacting with the hinge arms on the upper and lower doors respectively, and constituting stops limiting movement of said doors to their open positions, and sai-d hinge arms on the lower door having additional means with which the lower hinge rod coacts to sustain the lower door in its open position.

4. A receptacle having a compartment and an opening in one wall of the receptacle affording access to said compartment, vertically spaced horizontally positioned rods mounted in the receptacle structure, a door for said opening and means connecting said door with the upper rod for outward and upward swinging movement to an open position, and said means having a part adapted to coact with the other of said rods and sustain said door in its open position against downward swinging movement to a closed position.

5. A receptacle having a compartment and vertically spaced openings in a wall thereof, horizontal rods mounted in the receptacle structure in vertically spaced relation adjacent the opposed edges of said openings, upper and lower doors for the respective openings, and means on each door hingedly connected with one of said rods, said doors being movable loutwardly in relatively opposite directions to open positions, and said means on the respective doors coacting with the other rod to limit movement of said doors t-o open position and prevent contact of said means with the receptacle wall.

6. A mail box or receptacle having a wall thereof provided with an up er opening for the insertion of the mail andj a lower opening for the withdrawal thereof from the receptacle, doors for said openings, and guard members having convex surfaces mounted in the. receptacle structure respectively above the lower edge of the upper opening and below the upper edge of the lower opening in parallel relation therewith to prevent contact of the mail matter with said edges as it ils inserted or withdrawn from the receptac e.

7. A mail box having a plurality of partitions providing a series of mail receptacles opening through one wall of the box, independently operable doors hingedly mounted in the box near their upper ends and closing the lower portions of the receptacles, a master door hingedly mounted near its lower end within the box and controlling admission to the upper portions of all the receptacles, a transversely yieldable rod extendin across the box adjacent the hin ed ends of t e lower doors, and each of said lwer doors havin a relatively rigid part adapted to coact with said rod and spring the same from its normal position as the door is swung upwardly whereby said rod acts to yieldi'ngly resist the movement of the door towards its full open position.

8. A receptacle having a compartment and vertically spaced openings in the wall thereof, upper and lower doors for said openings, vertically spaced relatively fixed members mounted in the receptacle structure upon which said doors are hingedly supported for independent swinging movement to open and closed positions, and each of said doors` havin a part coacting with one of said members to imit swinging movement of the door with respect to the receptacle wall to its open po' sition. t

9. A mail box or -receptacle having an o ening in a wall thereof, a member mounted on the receptacle structure adjacent one edge of said openin and in parallel relation therewith, a hinge door for said opening mounted for vertical swinging movement lo open and closed position and having a hinge arm provided with means ada ted to coact with said member and latch saidp door in open position, and said member also constituting a stop preventing contact of the hinge arm with the receptacle wall.

10. A mail box or receptacle havin an opening in a wall thereof, a resiliently yieldable cylindrical rod mounted on the receptacle structure in spaced parallel relation to an end edge of said opening and presenting a convex bearing surface for en agement of the mail matter therewith andg preventing contact of the mail matter with said edge of the opening, a hinged door for said opening mounted for vertical swinging movement to open and closed position. having a hinge arm provided with means adapted to coact with said resiliently yieldable rod to latch the door in its open position. and said rod also constitutingl a stop preventing contact of the hinge arm with said receptacle wall.

11. A multi-compartment mail box or receptacle having a front plate provided with an o ening in its upper portion common to all t e compartments for the insertion of the mail and having a series of lower openings communicating with the respective compartments for the withdrawal of the mail and a horizontal panel separating said upper and lll) llO

lower openings from each other, the lower openings in their vertical dimension exceeding the vertical dimension of the upper openin a master door for said upper opening, in ividual doors for the lower openings, and guard means fixed in the box structure at the inner side of said panel and preventing contact of the mail matter -with the upper and lower edges of said panel when it is inserted into or withdrawn from the compartments.

12. A mail box or receptacle .having an opening in a wall thereof, a door for said opening hingedly mounted upon the receptacle structure adjacent the upper edge of said opening for vertical swinging movement to o n and closed positions, a resiliently yiel able member extending in parallel relation to said edge of the opening and constituting a uard preventing contact ofthe mail matter t erewith, and said door having a part to coact with said resiliently yieldable member to latch the door in its open position.

13. A mail box or receptacle having an opening in the wall thereof, a door liingedly supported at one of its ends upon the receptacle structure adjacent one edge of the opening for vertical swinging movement to open and closed position, a member'xed in the receptacle structure and inwardly spaced from said opening, said door swinging upwardl to its open position, and a part of said oor adapted to coact with said member and releasably latch the door in its open position, and said member also constituting a guard preventing contact of the mail Inatter with said edge of. the opening.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

SAMUEL HAMMER. 

